Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Cuellar.
Hi Mark, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When I was in high school going into college, I chose Architecture as a major simply because I was good in math and liked art. I really knew nothing about the profession and what I was getting into with Architecture school, but quickly fell in love with all things design – the process, explorations with different media and ways of communicating; how design affects architecture, how architecture affects emotion and the way we live in physical space.
I was in Architecture school in the early 90’s, which is when Deconstructivism was the movement of the day (think Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry, Daniel Libeskind, and many others). While I never really worked in that “style”, the work that was being published at the time really opened my mind to the possibilities that were out there and how interconnected architecture can be with art, sculpture, and creative expression.
After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, I moved to Chicago, a city steeped in Architectural history, but what attracted me most was the clean Modernism of Mies van der Rohe. I ended up getting an internship at Perkins & Will, one of the largest firms at the time. My almost 3 years there was very much intern development – learning the rigid organizational standards of running an office and assembling drawings and details; but I was also lucky enough to be mentored by one of the lead designers. I still felt that the office was a bit too large and rigid for me, so I moved on to a medium-sized design firm, Valerio Dewalt Train, where I was able to continue my intern development. This experience and creative leadership of the firm not only taught me how buildings are put together and get put together, but how to do so in incredibly unique ways.
Shortly after passing my licensing exams, I fell victim to layoffs, and while putting together a list of “where do I want to work next?” I realized that, although a bit earlier than I was planning, what I really wanted to do was go independent and open up my own shop. So that’s what I did. I was extremely lucky to land a couple of significantly large (for me) jobs to pay the bills, and one of them garnered me my first AIA Chicago award for interior architecture. Over the next few years, I ran my practice collaborating with some great talent in the office working on single-family residential and commercial interiors projects. After the recession in 2008, residential work pretty much dried up, so I focused on commercial work. This lasted until 2012, when I joined one of my clients as a full-time development specialist. I was responsible for design, construction management, and leading the store opening process for tea cafes in the US and the Middle East. I worked with some amazing people and was lucky to have traveled to Beirut, UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait.
It was during this time that my husband and I relocated to Long Beach to escape those harsh Chicago winters; and after the tea cafe company went out of business, I went back to focusing on my own practice, starting with residential work in the South Bay area. After a few negative experiences with contractors that some clients hired, I decided to get my General Contractors License so I could build the projects I design and provide a fully integrated design+build product for my clients. The experience has been so rewarding I regret not doing that sooner.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As a 50-something-year-old guy who’s been in the business for almost 30 years, I’ve seen my share of economic shifts – after the 2008 recession, residential work froze in its tracks and key commercial clients seized the opportunity to expand with then-lowered rents. In 2020 we had the pandemic where residential work skyrocketed and commercial locations were going out of business left and right. In both cases, I was lucky to have maintained the expertise and a base of clients on both sides of the fence so that I could sustain a living through those tough times.
Also, at least for now, I do enjoy keeping operations slim – I’m a sole proprietor for both my Architecture and Construction businesses and work with many talented consultants, freelancers, and subcontractors to pull things off. Still, being an army of one is not always easy!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My architectural work is split between Commercial interiors (cafes, restaurants, etc) and single-family residential projects.
For commercial design projects, I would say I specialize in telling a brand’s story through space, materials, and graphics. I leverage the years I spent working client-side on cafe projects to inform efficient layouts and impactful designs to draw customers in. I work with a number of talented consultants and clients to pull together a complete picture.
Residential work is all single-family homes, remodels, additions, and ADUs. While I can work in almost any style, my happy place is somewhere in between minimalism and mid-century modernism.
In both cases, my construction experience allows me to deliver a turnkey product and better manage quality and design intent.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I grew up in El Paso, Texas where my Mom’s side of the family settled. My Dad’s side were in Odessa, about 350 miles East. I remember many road trips between the two with my immediate family or with cousins stacked eight deep in a car on each other’s laps, driving through the desert southwest – sun, stars, dirt, tumbleweeds, a few mountains here and there, and lots of open roads. Don’t ask me how something so uncomfortable can be one of my favorite memories, but it is!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mac-da.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markcuellararchitect
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markcuellar/
Image Credits
CHRISTOPHERLEEFOTO.COM, Tony May, Thorsten Boesch, Mark Cuellar, Dylan King
